Blogs from Surigao, Philippines, Asia

Sorry for the delayed posting. Still fighting jetlag as everyday I get back "home" at night too exhausted to do anything but jump into bed. Today is 11/14 and last night I spent the night at my 2nd cousin Joel's house in Filinvest Cainta near Antipolo and intend to NOT go anywhere during the day and get some much needed R&R before I meet up with my high school buddies tonight. Below is a recap recap of the past 7 days. 11/7 Arrived in the Philippines 10:30 pm after a 5-hour flight from Tokyo. But it sure felt like a 10-hour trip as I was in Economy. It also quite eventful before take-off as 3 rows in front of me, an tense episode occurred. An elderly American in his 70s was yelling (using foul language) at ... read more

Dear Blog Readers, Welcome to Part 7 of the Philippine Blogs! You can read the other parts by clicking the links below: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 We decided to make the most of the day after our sloth-like experiences the day before but the early morning start was difficult. We groggily made our way down for some pancakes for breakfast and ... read more

Dear Blog Readers, Welcome to Part 5 of the Philippine Blogs! You can read the other parts by clicking the links below: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Although we were having an early start, we didn’t feel tired. Laura had pancakes and a fresh banana milkshake and I attempted The All American Breakfast. This included a hamburger and I certainly felt morbidly obese after finishing it. We decided to hire a motorbike of the day. Our conversation with the owner went something like this: Me: Can we hire a motorbike? Andrew: Sure. Me: N... read more

Dear Blog Readers, Welcome to Part 3 of the Philippine Blogs! You can read parts one and two by clicking the links below: Part 1 Part 2 We thought the best thing to start the holiday was to see what all the fuss was about with Cloud 9. It didn’t take us long to see why it was world-renowned. The barrels formed perfectly as the locals tackled the 8 foot waves crashing down before them. It was a truly awesome scene and it took some truly awesome skill to try and attempt riding them. My brain was struggling with the juxtaposition between the site before me and my first harrowing surfing experience which was in Hull. The ‘waves’ were barely a ripple. It was as though a fat man had done a running bomb about ... read more

SOHOTON COVE, SOCCORO, BUCAS GRANDE located in the Province of Surigao Del Norte which is a part of the CARAGA Region in Mindanao is a place where the word amazing is an understatement. This place is more than a Paradise, it is “Heaven In The Seas” as I call it… It has been converted to an Eco-Tourism Park because of its potential to be one of the greatest natural wonders of the World. Thanks to Dhodo Ajoc, the Tour Operation In-Charge for his warm hospitality. For me, Converting Sohoton into a Marine Protected Sanctuary will have a double effect. It will not only preserve the marine life and ecology but allows an increase in job opportunities of the locals residing in Bucas Grande. The locals will also learn how to take care of their God-Given ... read more